Carbohydrates are the Best Source of Energy for Athletes

The best way to provide your muscles the energy they need is CARBS! No secret there. It's not supplements or any other product with big promises to do the trick. It's really simple. A carbohydrate rich diet is the key for athletes to both fuel up before, maintain, and replenish energy from exercise.

Now the question you may be thinking yourself or hear many others say, "well, don't carbs make you fat?" Eating too many overall calories make you fat, not carbohydrates specifically. Carbohydrates get a bad reputation for that, but many of the foods that people over-indulge in are high in carbohydrates - sodas, pastas, breads, sweets, etc. Those foods all can have a place in a healthy diet. Finding the balance of how they fit in is where a little education can help. 

Carbohydrates are both simple and complex. Simple and complex refer to the sugar types present in the molecule. Without getting too complicated, simple has one or two different types of sugars present. Complex carbohydrates are formed when many sugars are linked together. Foods contain a variety of different sugars. 

You need foods that contain carbohydrates because that is what is stored in your muscles for energy. Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate in muscle and liver. A little over half of your total calories should come from carbohydrates for optimal performance in sport.